A large cannabis farm has been uncovered beneath a former travel agents on Union Street in Aberdeen.
Uniformed officers were seen outside the former Thomas Cook premises on Union Street yesterday, while detectives and other personnel were active inside.
The cannabis cultivation setup was distributed across three levels of the building, with at least four rooms occupied by plants. The basement and ground level was packed with plants, which featured a well-lit space for cultivating the drug. Concealed behind a curtain in one of the areas was a ladder leading up to an attic where it is believed workers were residing. There is no information available regarding whether anyone was present in the building at the time of the raid.
This discovery marks the second significant drugs find in the city this month following the recent police raid at the former Pearl Lounge Nightclub on Dee Street, where four men were arrested after officers found a “significant cultivation of the illegal plant” in the abandoned venue.
The choice of two high-profile city centre locations within days suggests criminal networks are systematically identifying and exploiting Aberdeen’s vacant property stock.
Detective Inspector Gary Lamb’s assessment following recent operations underscores the gravity: “Organised criminals don’t care about anyone other than themselves; they only care about power and money”.
Scotland has witnessed unprecedented cannabis cultivation activity, with the largest operation ever discovered – worth £12 million – found at a former college building in Kirkcaldy. Police Scotland’s recent operations have seized cannabis worth over £10 million, with criminals specifically targeting “vacated industrial units and empty shops”. This pattern has now arrived decisively in Aberdeen’s city centre.
Aberdeen’s vulnerability stems from an unprecedented level of vacant properties that creates extensive opportunities for criminal exploitation. Official figures reveal the stark reality: almost 100 properties on Union Street alone have sat empty at various points during recent financial years, including 64 offices and 26 shops. This represents approximately one in six properties on the Granite Mile lying vacant.
Financial Incentives enabling Criminal Activity?
Aberdeen’s business rates system inadvertently creates conditions that may facilitate criminal exploitation. Over 80% of vacant Union Street properties receive 100% Empty Property Relief due to listed building status, representing approximately £1.1 million in foregone revenue. While this relief aims to encourage occupation, it simultaneously reduces the financial pressure on property owners to secure legitimate tenants or implement robust security measures.
Police intelligence indicates that organised criminal groups specifically seek properties with certain characteristics: covered windows, potential for concealing intensive lighting operations, and locations that avoid regular scrutiny. Aberdeen’s combination of listed buildings with architectural features that aid concealment, coupled with a business rates system that reduces immediate financial pressure for occupation, creates ideal conditions for such operations.
In Case You Missed it:
Both cases in Aberdeen have underscored police efforts to disrupt criminal networks, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to organised drug crime amid a rise in cannabis farms occupying vacant buildings.
Officers continue to rely on tips from Aberdeen residents and have again encouraged locals to report anysuspicious activity.
Anyone with information or concerns should contact police on 101, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.
